Robberies

Shake Up

Workers

Shopping Center

Is Struck 3 Times

May 20, 1994|By PHIL DAVIS Staff Writer

The pattern is pretty much the same: A man with curly, dirty blond hair walks into the stores at Sandalfoot Plaza Shopping Center, whips out a pistol and threatens to shoot store employees if they don't give up the cash.

There have been three similar robberies at the shopping center in just more than a week, Palm Beach County sheriff's Sgt. Donna Wright said. Detectives think one man is responsible for all three holdups.

A man, armed with a "thin, long-barreled" revolver, walked into the sandwich shop and demanded cash. Store employees gave up the cash and the gunman was last seen running north from the store.

Several store owners and managers contacted at the plaza on Thursday weren't aware that there had been three robberies in the shopping center.

"I'm very concerned about it," said one Sandalfoot store owner, who asked that his business name be withheld because he is afraid the gunman might target his store next. "I've taken some precautions, such as keeping less money in the register."

Rich Dahl, owner of a Chevron gas station robbed on May 11, said his clerks are now more wary of their nighttime customers. He said the clerk who was robbed has had nightmares about the incident.

"The other cashiers are quite concerned," Dahl said. "Some of them don't want to work at night anymore."

He said clerks have been told not to let people in the store who appear "a little bit out of sorts or strange."Dahl said only regular customers will be allowed inside after dark.

The gunman is white, about 5 feet 6 inches or 5 feet 8 inches tall. He weighs about 160 pounds and appears to be in his late 20s. The man has long, curly "dirty blond" hair - something witnesses in all three robberies pointed out as a distinguishing feature. Detectives are working on a composite sketch of the suspect.

In each case, he carried a silver or chrome-colored revolver, which he showed to the store employees and then threatened to shoot them if they didn't hand over the cash.

Here's a brief description of earlier robberies:

-- Dahl's Chevron Station, 23013 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, was robbed at 9:30 p.m. on May 11. The gunman picked up a Yoo Hoo drink and cigarettes before whipping out his handgun and demanding cash. He left the Yoo Hoo behind when he ran with the cash.

-- The Gourmet Yogurt Co., 23084 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, was robbed at 9:55 p.m. on May 16. The gunman, this time wearing a vivid silk or satin purple jogging suit, walked into the store, showed his gun and demanded cash. The shoeless suspect ran from the store.

Three days later, the gunman, wearing a khaki long-sleeved shirt, robbed two employees at Subway.